Kevin McVicker’s Comics Corner: issue #17: The Year Ahead In Comics

Happy New Year and welcome to the first “Comics Corner” of 2016. Much like every other year, 2016 is full of great promise in comics. While a great deal of the publishing news is still under wraps, a few of the highlights and promises of the year-to-come in comics are already known. Let’s take a look at a few of these aforementioned highlights…

(image courtesy of DC Comics)

Ta-Nehisi Coates on “Black Panther”

(image courtesy of Marvel)

“And godless though I am, the fact of being human, the fact of possessing the gift of study, and thus being remarkable among all the matter floating through the cosmos, still awes me.” The guy that wrote that above statement is writing the new Black Panther series. And that comes from a book (“Between the World and Me”) containing more of the same caliber of literary style throughout. Coates is a phenomenal writer, and he’s doing Black Panther. The legitimacy of comics as a literary art form and not just a dime-store fiction will vastly improve this year.

Len Wein back on “Swamp Thing”

Len Wein may not be Ta-Nehisi Coates, but having him back on Swamp Thing is next to having Stan Lee back on The Fantastic Four. This is a very cool return of a fundamental and classic writer. As much as we need new writers bringing in modern ideas into comics, it is incredibly important that at no point in time we forget the vital input the creators from the 70s and 80s had on our modern comics (and our modern comic writers). I’m thrilled to see Wein working with his baby again, just as I was to see Jerry Conway working again on Spider-Man last year.

(image courtesy of image comics)

Are You Reading “Invincible” Yet?

With the twists and shocking turns that come in this series since issue… well basically issue #1, the shocking twist at the end of issue #126 in December was just another in series that is not shy on calling itself “The Best Superhero Comic In The Universe.” And while I’m a die hard Marvel fan I have to admit Robert Kirkman knows how to tell an amazing serialized superhero story. I honestly would recommend this series over The Walking Dead comic. So let 2016 be the year you finally jump aboard this fantastic series if you haven’t yet.

The Return of Milestone Comics

This year should see the return of Milestone Comics as an imprint (kind of like Vertigo) under DC Comics. With such classic series as Static Shock and Xombi, I look forward to seeing this diverse comic line return sometime this year as it was announced at San Diego’s Comic Con in 2015.

(image courtesy of DC/Milestone Comics)

Set Your DVR!

(image courtesy of Netflix/Marvel)

Of course we have the return of comic book themed shows from last year (The Flash, Arrow, The Walking Dead, West Coast Walking Dead, Agents of SHIELD, Supergirl, Gotham, and iZombie… I think that’s all of them), but we also have a plethora of brand new series and new seasons of older series to look forward to in 2016. Agent Carter (end of January) and Daredevil (end of March – the same weekend as the Superman/Batman movie opens) are both returning this year for brand new seasons. But in terms of brand new series we have Lucifer, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Preacher all confirmed. Tentatively you may also expect to see Luke Cage and Outcast (maybe not until early 2017) on the small screen before the year is out. Also, let’s not forget one of the biggest television events for 2016 is the return of X-Files (which I’m not sure qualifies for this list, but still) for a limited run starting at the end of January.

…But If You’re Too Good for TV, There’s Movies Too!

(image courtesy of Entertainment Weekly/Marvel)

This year is also a year for nerds at the movie. Movie studios have realized that nerds will pay money even to see a horrible adaptation of their beloved property (unless it is another terrible Fantastic Four movie), so this year they seem to be throwing everything at the wall. As it goes for comic book themed movies this year we have Deadpool (2/12), Superman vs Batman (3/25), Captain America: Civil War (5/6), X-Men: Apocalypse (5/25), TMNT: Out of the Shadows (6/3), Suicide Squad (8/5), Gambit (10/7), and Doctor Strange (11/4). On top of those comic book related movies, we also have a new Star Trek (7/22), two video game movies with Warcraft (6/10) and Assassin’s Creed (12/21), and the first Star Wars movie not part of a trilogy with Rogue One (12/16). So try not to die until Christmas Day this year, okay.

(image courtesy of 20th Century Fox)

And so, there you go. This is just a small offering of what to expect and look forward to in 2016. As always check back as I’ll try to keep you updated in this column throughout the year on what else to look forward to and what you might have missed in the world of comics.